Patrick Merrill
Prior to founding Merrill Research in 1986, Mr. Merrill had been the Director of Marketing Research for Regis McKenna Inc. a leading high tech marketing strategy and communications consultancy. He was responsible for all primary and secondary research activities for RMI on a worldwide basis. Prior to Regis McKenna Inc., Mr. Merrill's experience included senior research positions at Activision, Levi Strauss & Co., Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. and Heublein Wines.

Mr. Merrill has 25+ years of custom marketing research experience and is equally adept at quantitative and qualitative projects. His keen interest includes research methodology and study design, sampling and approach to questioning respondents. He is a wine enthusiast and research expert in the wine and alcoholic beverage industries, and has been invited to speak at wine conference around the world. His background also includes many years' experience in the financial services, consumer and business technology sectors.

Mr. Merrill began his research career in Cincinnati, Ohio with Burke Marketing Research, the largest custom marketing research firm in the world. Mr. Merrill earned an MBA from the University of Illinois with an emphasis in Marketing and Quantitative Analysis. His undergraduate degree is in Marketing with an emphasis in Psychology and Advertising.


David Schneer
Prior to founding Merrill Research, LLC in 1986, Mr. David Schneer had most recently been a Marketing Consultant at Regis McKenna Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Schneer had started the marketing research function at Regis McKenna Inc. in 1978 where he pioneered the use of electronic information retrieval systems. He was also responsible for managing primary research projects, both quantitative and qualitative.

Mr. Schneer has over 24 years experience conducting research in the worldwide semiconductor and telecommunications markets. Mr. Schneer's expertise includes research to support the following types of semiconductor technology including, but not limited to, DSPs, analog and mixed signal devices, CISC and RISC-based microprocessors, network ICs/communications silicon, security processors, logic integration (PLDs, CPLDs, FPGAs), microcontrollers, memory products, ASICS, GaAS, semiconductor IP, frequency control components, digital television semiconductors, EDA tools, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Mr. Schneer has helped the world's leading semiconductor companies with research to support new product development (emerging applications, end-equipment feature prioritization, ergonomics, usability, ethnography) and strategic communications (advertising development, advertising evaluation, marketing, public relations and positioning) initiatives.

In addition to his semiconductor work, Mr. Schneer has extensive research experience understanding the needs of the following audiences in the product development chain: design engineering community, software engineers, OEMs, the distribution channel (VARs, Systems Integrators, wholesalers, retailers, industrial distribution, sophisticated end-users), the IT community, senior executives and consumer end-users. He also has notable experience conducting research internationally in Eastern and Western Europe, and APAC.

Mr. Schneer began his career as a writer for the San Diego Bureau of the Los Angeles Times. Mr. Schneer earned a Masters degree in modern American literature from the University of California at Berkeley and he holds a BA in Political Science and Journalism from San Diego State University.


Leslye Geller
Leslye Geller, Principal, joined Merrill Research in 2003 and heads up the Dallas office. She joined Merrill Research with 20 years' market research and marketing/advertising experience, most recently as Partner/Director of the Communications Planning Group/JWT Specialized Communications, a division of J. Walter Thompson. In this capacity, she directed all market research and strategic communications activities for the agency's clients.

In addition to growing Merrill Research's business, Leslye maintains a hands-on approach by serving as senior project manager for the clients she has introduced to Merrill Research. As recently cited by one client, "Leslye's personal involvement in research projects, combined with her marketing and communications experience, allows clients to obtain the information necessary for on-target positioning and communications efforts. Equally important, she is an artful moderator with the analytical skills and insight necessary to ensure that the data obtained results in useful tools for diagnostic and directional purposes."

Leslye's market research experience includes serving clients in consumer packaged goods, healthcare, banking and financial, quick service and casual dining restaurant industries.

Leslye holds a B.A in Sociology from the State University College of New York and is a graduate of the Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies (sponsored by Southern Methodist University and the American Association of Advertising Agencies). She has also been a noted guest lecturer at The University of North Texas and Southern Methodist University, as well as the keynote speaker at conferences such as the Suburban Newspapers of America, Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and the National Newspaper Association.